After having to sit through a torturous 19-63 season which included an NBA record 26-game losing streak, Cleveland Cavs fans receive something they've waited nearly a year for, an apology from none other than LeBron James. Since his decision in which he publicly announced his departure from the snowy weather of Ohio to the sunny beaches of Florida on July 8, LeBron has quickly evolved from home town kid to public enemy number one. Following their 97-87 victory over the Boston Celtics, triumphing the series 4-games to 1, James stood in front of a camera crew on the podium during a post-game interview where he told the people of his home state, "I couldn't do it myself against that [Celtics] team. I apologize for the way it happened, but I knew this opportunity was once in a lifetime."
Along with the Cleveland fan base, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert who was one of James' biggest critics after his infamous 'Decision', can care less about the delayed apology and are ready to move on. And with two of the first four picks in this year's NBA Draft, including the number one overall pick which was won in the Lottery today, what better way to help them recover from their LeBron hangover than adding a new crop of young talent to the team. In spite of what's being described as a relatively weak draft class this year opposed to season's past, almost anything will be an upgrade over what the Cavs roster looked like this year.
With overall picks numbers one and four, Gilbert and company are in a perfect position to land consensus no. 1 prospect Kyrie Irving of Duke or Arizona's Derrick Williams along with Brandon Knight of Kentucky or UCONN's long shot -- Kemba Walker. In reaction to his team winning the Draft Lottery after having suffered from a dreadful season, Gilbert told reporters, "I don't know if it makes up for it, but it certainly makes it worth the pain that we all went through." Just a year removed from back-to-back seasons of 60-wins or more, you have to feel a bit sympathetic for Gilbert regardless of his inappropriate shots fired at LeBron, after seeing his team fall from what was one of the best in the league to one of the worst. And though he hasn't said it yet, you know the one thing that's on Gilbert's mind is sticking it to his former star LeBron James.
Considering the Cavs have been in rebuilding mode since James made his announcement to join D-Wade and Bosh in Miami, many in the Cavaliers organization including vice chairman Jeff Cohen, believe their in the drivers seat to get this team back on the winning track. "One and four is an unbelievable opportunity for this organization," Cohen said. "Hopefully we don't have to come back to this room for a long, long time."
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